Mobile communication units (MCU's), such as cellular phones, personal data assistants (PDA's), and on-board Vehicle Communication Units (VCU's), used in conjunction with a Wide Area Network (WAN), such as a cellular telephone network or a satellite communication system, have made it possible for a person to send and receive voice communications, data transmissions, and FAX messages from virtually anywhere on earth. Such communication is initiated at the MCU when it is turned on, or by entering a phone number to be called, or in many cases, by pressing a preprogrammed button on the MCU or speaking a voice command causing the MCU to automatically complete the process of dialing the number to be called. A radio communication link is established between the MCU and a Wide Area Network (WAN), using a node of the WAN in the vicinity of the MCU.
Once the radio communication link between the MCU and the cellular base station has been established, the base station then utilizes a combination of additional cellular stations, conventional telephone wire line networks, and possibly even satellite systems to connect the MCU to the number to be called.
Wireless communication services for MCU users, such as navigation and roadside assistance that utilize GPS, have increased rapidly in recent years. Most of the services that have been offered are for a motor vehicle in operation, and include services that may require location and destination information, usually provided utilizing GPS data.
Examples of roadside assistance that utilize GPS, in addition to other wireless communication services, include providing location information in emergency situations, such as, for example automobile accidents, medical emergencies, and automobile theft. Unfortunately, in many instances of the above examples one or more critical portions, such as, for example the antenna portion or the power supply portion, of the MCU may be degraded. In the event of an automobile accident scenario, the degradation may be unintentional as opposed to an intentional degradation in the event of an automobile theft scenario.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a method and system that would overcome these and other disadvantages.